Lgr proteins in epithelial stem cell biology

Lgr proteins in epithelial stem cell biology

Development

10.1242/dev.083113

https://doi.org/10.1242/dev.083113

Nick Barker, Shawna Tan, Hans Clevers

Lgr5

28 June 2013

Barker, N., Tan, S. & Clevers, H. Lgr proteins in epithelial stem cell biology. Dev. 140, 2484–2494 (2013).

The ultimate success of global efforts to exploit adult stem cells for regenerative medicine will depend heavily on the availability of robust, highly selective stem cell surface markers that facilitate the isolation of stem cells from human tissues. Any subsequent expansion or manipulation of isolated stem cells will also require an intimate knowledge of the mechanisms that regulate these cells, to ensure maintenance of their regenerative capacities and to minimize the risk of introducing undesirable growth traits that could pose health risks for patients. A subclass of leucine-rich repeat-containing G-protein-coupled receptor (Lgr) proteins has recently gained prominence as adult stem cell markers with crucial roles in maintaining stem cell functions. Here, we discuss the major impact that their discovery has had on our understanding of adult stem cell biology in various selfrenewing tissues and in accelerating progress towards the development of effective stem cell therapies. © 2013. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

This work was supported by the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A-STAR) Core Funding.

https://oar.a-star.edu.sg/communities-collections/articles/16346

0950-1991
1477-9129

Institute of Medical Biology